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PunisherMAX #1-4
PunisherMAX
The Mob has set a trap for Frank Castle, turning low-level enforcer Wilson Fisk into a fictional "Kingpin of Crime" for Frank to target. But Fisk decides he quite likes his new position...enough to kill his bosses to keep it. Suddenly, the Punisher finds himself in a one-on-one war with a deadly threat...and he must decide how far he is willing to go to take the Kingpin down! Contending with dirty cops, battling the Kingpin's henchmen Bullseye and Elektra, and suffering through a stint in prison, Frank Castle is brought lower than he has ever been. But as the Kingpin of Crime will soon find out - all that means is that Frank has nothing left to lose! COLLECTING: PunisherMAX 1-22, Punisher MAX X-Mas Special
544 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2014
6 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Jason Aaron
2,359 books1,677 followersJason Aaron grew up in a small town in Alabama. His cousin, Gustav Hasford, who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel The Short-Timers, on which the feature film Full Metal Jacket was based, was a large influence on Aaron. Aaron decided he wanted to write comics as a child, and though his father was skeptical when Aaron informed him of this aspiration, his mother took Aaron to drug stores, where he would purchase books from spinner racks, some of which he still owns today.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
Aaron's career in comics began in 2001 when he won a Marvel Comics talent search contest with an eight-page Wolverine back-up story script. The story, which was published in Wolverine #175 (June 2002), gave him the opportunity to pitch subsequent ideas to editors.
In 2006, Aaron made a blind submission to DC/Vertigo, who published his first major work, the Vietnam War story The Other Side which was nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Miniseries, and which Aaron regards as the "second time" he broke into the industry.
Following this, Vertigo asked him to pitch other ideas, which led to the series Scalped, a creator-owned series set on the fictional Prairie Rose Indian Reservation and published by DC/Vertigo.
In 2007, Aaron wrote Ripclaw: Pilot Season for Top Cow Productions. Later that year, Marvel editor Axel Alonso, who was impressed by The Other Side and Scalped, hired Aaron to write issues of Wolverine, Black Panther and eventually, an extended run on Ghost Rider that began in April 2008. His continued work on Black Panther also included a tie-in to the company-wide crossover storyline along with a "Secret Invasion" with David Lapham in 2009.
In January 2008, he signed an exclusive contract with Marvel, though it would not affect his work on Scalped. Later that July, he wrote the Penguin issue of The Joker's Asylum.
After a 4-issue stint on Wolverine in 2007, Aaron returned to the character with the ongoing series Wolverine: Weapon X, launched to coincide with the feature film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Aaron commented, "With Wolverine: Weapon X we'll be trying to mix things up like that from arc to arc, so the first arc is a typical sort of black ops story but the second arc will jump right into the middle of a completely different genre," In 2010, the series was relaunched once again as simply Wolverine. He followed this with his current run on Thor: God of Thunder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 9, 2014
Dear Jason Aaron,
I owe you an apology. I failed to initially recognize the triumph that your work on Punisher Max really is. When I first read your Max series in single issues I was still pretty fucking salty about Garth Ennis's departure from the title. Garth had resurrected Frank and continued on to eclipse anything anyone had ever done on the Punisher title before. I wasn't ready. Garth had defined Frank Castle. I didn't hold out much hope you could rise to the occassion and fill the rather large shoes Mr. Ennis left behind. But you ultimately surprised me. You were respectful to what came before and build upon the solid foundation provided. Your introduction of existing Marvel characters (Kingpin, Bullseye, and Elektra) was concerning at first. How could they possibly fit into the realistic world that Garth created? You pulled it off. Creating characters with origins that creatively fit into the "Max" reality. You picked up where "Born" left off with great success and reflected all the way back to the genesis of the Punisher in Viet Nam. You channeled the same voice Garth did when speaking as the Punisher and took it a step further in putting your own twist on Frank's very origin. Themes about being a father, a husband, and a family flowed nicely throughout. This story read so much better in one sitting than in the monthly bite sized pieces. I have also grown to appreciate Steve Dillon's simple, yet consistent style of artwork. He also did a fine job on this omnibus.
So I'm sorry. Sorry I doubted you and I'd like to say thanks for nailing severed fingers to a wall, pinching some unlucky schmuck's johnson with a pair of pliers, salting a man's sliced fingers, cutting off multiple pairs of ears, sticking a shotgun in a guy's ass, bludgeoning people in the cranium with hammers, and squeezing the eyeballs out of a man's skull. Punisher Max is delightfully violent from start to finish and has certainly earned it's place among Ennis's Punisher Max canon.
Sincerely,
Jason Aaron Fan for Life
I owe you an apology. I failed to initially recognize the triumph that your work on Punisher Max really is. When I first read your Max series in single issues I was still pretty fucking salty about Garth Ennis's departure from the title. Garth had resurrected Frank and continued on to eclipse anything anyone had ever done on the Punisher title before. I wasn't ready. Garth had defined Frank Castle. I didn't hold out much hope you could rise to the occassion and fill the rather large shoes Mr. Ennis left behind. But you ultimately surprised me. You were respectful to what came before and build upon the solid foundation provided. Your introduction of existing Marvel characters (Kingpin, Bullseye, and Elektra) was concerning at first. How could they possibly fit into the realistic world that Garth created? You pulled it off. Creating characters with origins that creatively fit into the "Max" reality. You picked up where "Born" left off with great success and reflected all the way back to the genesis of the Punisher in Viet Nam. You channeled the same voice Garth did when speaking as the Punisher and took it a step further in putting your own twist on Frank's very origin. Themes about being a father, a husband, and a family flowed nicely throughout. This story read so much better in one sitting than in the monthly bite sized pieces. I have also grown to appreciate Steve Dillon's simple, yet consistent style of artwork. He also did a fine job on this omnibus.
So I'm sorry. Sorry I doubted you and I'd like to say thanks for nailing severed fingers to a wall, pinching some unlucky schmuck's johnson with a pair of pliers, salting a man's sliced fingers, cutting off multiple pairs of ears, sticking a shotgun in a guy's ass, bludgeoning people in the cranium with hammers, and squeezing the eyeballs out of a man's skull. Punisher Max is delightfully violent from start to finish and has certainly earned it's place among Ennis's Punisher Max canon.
Sincerely,
Jason Aaron Fan for Life
August 7, 2016
I've held off from reading this for a few years because I was so disappointed by the Garth Ennis run and I knew Dillon was carrying on with the illustrations and I'm not his biggest fan. I thought that everything that Ennis' series lacked was in abundance in this run by Jason Aaron.
I mean I know this was early on in his career, but it's not hard to write a decent Punisher story, you give him some good villains, a purpose and you tackle his background and his mysterious past in Vietnam and makes sure everyone dies. That's exactly what Aaron does.
The first volume starts off introducing the Wilson Fisk aka the kingpin and we even get an origin story which was an added bonus. Frank is run ragged trying to find out who is the kingpin and just as Fisk gains control of Hell's Kitchen, guess who turns up? That's right Bullseye. He wants to carry out his contract that he was hired to do by the previous mob bosses. Killing the Punisher!
Now this is where it's gets really interesting. Now bullseye has a lot of potential as a villain and in this, despite Dillon's mediocre artwork, we get a really gutsy, dark and twisted sense of character in Bullseye. In this he is the definition of a psychopath. He stalks Frank, he sleeps in his bed, he visits every piece of Tarmac where Frank killed someone. He wants to get into the head of the punisher so that he can kill him. He struggles do this and so takes it a step forward which even Fisk will not tolerate. He breaks into a family's house, after making sure there is a wife, a son and a daughter, to replicate what Frank had. He kills the father, then lives with the family, rapes the mother then takes the family to a picnic and hires men to shoot hem in front of him just so he can relive Franks pain. He does this on four separate occasions!!!!
Bullseye finally figured it out. He finally understands why Frank got his family killed that day in the park. He gets into Franks head and whispers in his ear just before they fall and Frank is broken.
Frank then wakes up in prison which is a whole other story similar to the to show. Excellent. I'm sure you know how that ends.
Fast forward to volume 3 and Elektra is brought in to protect the kingpin from the punisher. Is there an ulterior motive by the hand?
So then we get to see Frank go head to head with Elektra, again a great fight.
The final volume, homeless, my favourite volume, we get to see what makes Frank tick, what makes him punish, what makes him never stop. We get to see him before and after he became The Punisher, we get to seem him at his most vulnerable, we get emotion and we also get another interesting character. The one and only Nick Fury.
The ending is great, he goes out in style, Tarantino style.
A solid book, with some highly memorable moments for me. The villains were fantastic, Frank was fantastic and the ending was satisfying.
A great end to the Punisher.
I mean I know this was early on in his career, but it's not hard to write a decent Punisher story, you give him some good villains, a purpose and you tackle his background and his mysterious past in Vietnam and makes sure everyone dies. That's exactly what Aaron does.
The first volume starts off introducing the Wilson Fisk aka the kingpin and we even get an origin story which was an added bonus. Frank is run ragged trying to find out who is the kingpin and just as Fisk gains control of Hell's Kitchen, guess who turns up? That's right Bullseye. He wants to carry out his contract that he was hired to do by the previous mob bosses. Killing the Punisher!
Now this is where it's gets really interesting. Now bullseye has a lot of potential as a villain and in this, despite Dillon's mediocre artwork, we get a really gutsy, dark and twisted sense of character in Bullseye. In this he is the definition of a psychopath. He stalks Frank, he sleeps in his bed, he visits every piece of Tarmac where Frank killed someone. He wants to get into the head of the punisher so that he can kill him. He struggles do this and so takes it a step forward which even Fisk will not tolerate. He breaks into a family's house, after making sure there is a wife, a son and a daughter, to replicate what Frank had. He kills the father, then lives with the family, rapes the mother then takes the family to a picnic and hires men to shoot hem in front of him just so he can relive Franks pain. He does this on four separate occasions!!!!
Bullseye finally figured it out. He finally understands why Frank got his family killed that day in the park. He gets into Franks head and whispers in his ear just before they fall and Frank is broken.
Frank then wakes up in prison which is a whole other story similar to the to show. Excellent. I'm sure you know how that ends.
Fast forward to volume 3 and Elektra is brought in to protect the kingpin from the punisher. Is there an ulterior motive by the hand?
So then we get to see Frank go head to head with Elektra, again a great fight.
The final volume, homeless, my favourite volume, we get to see what makes Frank tick, what makes him punish, what makes him never stop. We get to see him before and after he became The Punisher, we get to seem him at his most vulnerable, we get emotion and we also get another interesting character. The one and only Nick Fury.
The ending is great, he goes out in style, Tarantino style.
A solid book, with some highly memorable moments for me. The villains were fantastic, Frank was fantastic and the ending was satisfying.
A great end to the Punisher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2015
My initial impression wasn't really positive. Lots of talking head panels. Very violent with lots of profanity. Profanity for writers (and people in general) can be a lazy crutch and so I'm a bit gun-shy about it in books. Tell what's happening or what you/the character is feeling. Anyone can barf out a bunch of profanity.
I hated some other Max titles I read because the story sucked and the author and artist spent to much time cursing and showing tits just because they could instead of writing an unfettered awesome story. I was afraid that was going to happen again in this volume. Happily, I was wrong. The story takes a bit to get going full stride but it comes together very very very well. I won't spoil the ended but it was well done and not what I expected. Nick Fury was used really well.
If you like the Punisher, if you liked the DD TV show with Wilson Fisk, and you don't mind/like lots of violence (plus some serious profanity and some tits) you will like this book. I was put off buying this by the price to page count but I bought one slightly less than market rate on sale and it was written well enough to be worth it.
I hated some other Max titles I read because the story sucked and the author and artist spent to much time cursing and showing tits just because they could instead of writing an unfettered awesome story. I was afraid that was going to happen again in this volume. Happily, I was wrong. The story takes a bit to get going full stride but it comes together very very very well. I won't spoil the ended but it was well done and not what I expected. Nick Fury was used really well.
If you like the Punisher, if you liked the DD TV show with Wilson Fisk, and you don't mind/like lots of violence (plus some serious profanity and some tits) you will like this book. I was put off buying this by the price to page count but I bought one slightly less than market rate on sale and it was written well enough to be worth it.
May 2, 2016
Wow.
It was a couple years ago maybe that I read a Nova reboot, and I was complaining about the fact that superheroes can never be old dudes. It's always a teen, navigating the world of superpowers, homework, and gulp, girls!
I'm sorry, I had to take a break to shit in my own pants, sit in the shit, and think about the disappointment that life can be sometimes.
Ah, but it turned out, my old man comic existed all along.
Jason Aaron's Punisher is an old, desperate, broken man. I think it's a look at the Punisher we always should have seen.
Punisher is one of those characters who's a good concept, visually stunning, and contrast-y to the other characters in the Marvel Universe, but who just hasn't seen a lot of really great runs. You'd think he had, but really, there are a handful of really great Punisher reads.
For me, this one goes behind Garth Ennis' first run, the one that ended before the Russian got breast implants and things got wacky.
It's not an optimistic book by any means. It's fatalistic, sad, and it's a character that pushes the reader's limits of empathy. But goddamn does it work.
I was reminded of Rorschach from Watchmen, a character willing to go to the limit and never surrender.
By the way, I just recently read this stupid, pretentious thinkpiece about how Ted Cruz was a maniac for saying that Rorschach from Watchmen is his favorite superhero. What a pile of shit. I mean, Rorschach doesn't have superpowers, so there's something there, but this guy was just talking about how Rorschach is a bad guy, and therefore can't be your favorite superhero. And in fact, that might mean you're a crazy, bad person.
[for the record, fuck Ted Cruz]
I say nay. Because, to me, superheroes can be aspirational, but they don't have to be. I don't have to like everything a hero does, and I don't have to like the way he does it, to still really enjoy the character.
Watchmen was a book filled with non-aspirational characters. Dr. Manhattan lost his humanity. The Comedian was nuts, and probably the one best equipped for the real world. And Rorschach, despite being a bad dude and pretty crazy, had strong convictions. The man wasn't a quitter, even when he was totally outclassed.
I think that's the kind of hero we get with Punisher here. He's so damaged, so fucked up. He's running himself into the ground, fighting 20 year-olds with his 60-something body that's pretty much running on willpower at this point.
It's a different kind of story. Defeatist in a way. A downer in the way that I think we miss in the movies.
I'm always looking for things that comics are doing that we don't see in their movie counterparts, and downer, non-aspirational, truly dark stories are one of those things. I think the darkest movie we've gotten from Marvel is Deadpool, probably, and that's far from dark. DC has gone darker, but it feels so artificial because they don't really take it all the way. They edge up to the darkness, then pull back. As much as Dark Knight had a dark tone, it was a superhero movie through and through. The Joker was dark, and the Dark Knight was heroic as fuck.
I'm waiting for the Marvel movie with this tone. I wanna see it. Because I think you can tell a really powerful, really different kind of story. One that doesn't involve saving the world with a dance sequence.
It was a couple years ago maybe that I read a Nova reboot, and I was complaining about the fact that superheroes can never be old dudes. It's always a teen, navigating the world of superpowers, homework, and gulp, girls!
I'm sorry, I had to take a break to shit in my own pants, sit in the shit, and think about the disappointment that life can be sometimes.
Ah, but it turned out, my old man comic existed all along.
Jason Aaron's Punisher is an old, desperate, broken man. I think it's a look at the Punisher we always should have seen.
Punisher is one of those characters who's a good concept, visually stunning, and contrast-y to the other characters in the Marvel Universe, but who just hasn't seen a lot of really great runs. You'd think he had, but really, there are a handful of really great Punisher reads.
For me, this one goes behind Garth Ennis' first run, the one that ended before the Russian got breast implants and things got wacky.
It's not an optimistic book by any means. It's fatalistic, sad, and it's a character that pushes the reader's limits of empathy. But goddamn does it work.
I was reminded of Rorschach from Watchmen, a character willing to go to the limit and never surrender.
By the way, I just recently read this stupid, pretentious thinkpiece about how Ted Cruz was a maniac for saying that Rorschach from Watchmen is his favorite superhero. What a pile of shit. I mean, Rorschach doesn't have superpowers, so there's something there, but this guy was just talking about how Rorschach is a bad guy, and therefore can't be your favorite superhero. And in fact, that might mean you're a crazy, bad person.
[for the record, fuck Ted Cruz]
I say nay. Because, to me, superheroes can be aspirational, but they don't have to be. I don't have to like everything a hero does, and I don't have to like the way he does it, to still really enjoy the character.
Watchmen was a book filled with non-aspirational characters. Dr. Manhattan lost his humanity. The Comedian was nuts, and probably the one best equipped for the real world. And Rorschach, despite being a bad dude and pretty crazy, had strong convictions. The man wasn't a quitter, even when he was totally outclassed.
I think that's the kind of hero we get with Punisher here. He's so damaged, so fucked up. He's running himself into the ground, fighting 20 year-olds with his 60-something body that's pretty much running on willpower at this point.
It's a different kind of story. Defeatist in a way. A downer in the way that I think we miss in the movies.
I'm always looking for things that comics are doing that we don't see in their movie counterparts, and downer, non-aspirational, truly dark stories are one of those things. I think the darkest movie we've gotten from Marvel is Deadpool, probably, and that's far from dark. DC has gone darker, but it feels so artificial because they don't really take it all the way. They edge up to the darkness, then pull back. As much as Dark Knight had a dark tone, it was a superhero movie through and through. The Joker was dark, and the Dark Knight was heroic as fuck.
I'm waiting for the Marvel movie with this tone. I wanna see it. Because I think you can tell a really powerful, really different kind of story. One that doesn't involve saving the world with a dance sequence.
February 21, 2025
(Zero spoiler review) 1.5/5
A pox on the people who reviewed this book so high and made me feel confident in picking this up. A pox on them, I say...
It's as if Marvel went to Jason Aaron and said can you take all of the very worst of Garth Ennis' tropes and sexual boundary pushing and do more of that, but do it much, MUCH worse. Without approaching anything even remotely close to the writing talent that Ennis undoubtedly has. If that was the brief, then I would say Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If the brief was to utterly destroy Kingpin and Bullseye, reducing them to pathetic, poorly written, pale imitations of the excellent characters they were, then Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If the brief was to so utterly infuriate me so much as I stopped reading halfway through and promptly sold the book at a loss, then Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If you thought Marvel couldn't have cucked Kingpin anymore than they did than on the embarrassing Echo and Hawkeye shows, (which I absolutely didn't watch) then there was definitely precedent here with Aaron's sub-mediocre, damaging ramblings. And Marvel gave him another go recently, whereby he promptly pissed all over Frank Castle before killing him off. Fuck this depraved bag of trash! Oh, and I've never liked Steve Dillon's art much, either. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
A pox on the people who reviewed this book so high and made me feel confident in picking this up. A pox on them, I say...
It's as if Marvel went to Jason Aaron and said can you take all of the very worst of Garth Ennis' tropes and sexual boundary pushing and do more of that, but do it much, MUCH worse. Without approaching anything even remotely close to the writing talent that Ennis undoubtedly has. If that was the brief, then I would say Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If the brief was to utterly destroy Kingpin and Bullseye, reducing them to pathetic, poorly written, pale imitations of the excellent characters they were, then Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If the brief was to so utterly infuriate me so much as I stopped reading halfway through and promptly sold the book at a loss, then Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park. If you thought Marvel couldn't have cucked Kingpin anymore than they did than on the embarrassing Echo and Hawkeye shows, (which I absolutely didn't watch) then there was definitely precedent here with Aaron's sub-mediocre, damaging ramblings. And Marvel gave him another go recently, whereby he promptly pissed all over Frank Castle before killing him off. Fuck this depraved bag of trash! Oh, and I've never liked Steve Dillon's art much, either. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
June 1, 2016
So I had read the first half of this omnibus as individual volumes so this is really a review of the second half. I did not like the first half as my reviews will attest but the second half improved...and then...not so much. SO the main point of Aaron's story is the Punisher was NOT driven to being the killer of criminals he is because his family was gunned down in front of him - he was going to be like that regardless after Vietnam and his family was just holding him back. That was clarified in the second half and it was the part I really liked. An interesting new take on him. Him being in jail also was a great narrative and seeing ow the criminals reacted to him. Then it started ot go down hill again when the Kingpin storyline came back. Aaron again irritated me by his reimagining of an old character - before it was Bullseye and this time it was Electra. Aaron's Electra only bore her name so it is frustrating to see him use her name when she might as well have been a different characxter altogether. Am I supposed to be impressed he called this completely different person Electra? I just thought it was lame and unoriginal. And the ending? I won't spoil it but I know it was supposed to be"well that's new!!" but all I could think of was....that was a weak ending. Aaron has been a hit or miss writer for me. his Thor series was amazing, his Scalped series was dreadful (although got huge critical acclaim) and this one was in the middle. Readable and some interesting ideas about the Punisher but over the top violence and "reimagining old villains" kept it from being something I would recommend.
January 27, 2024
Para alguien no lee cómics y mucho menos consumió algo de punisher, como historia auto conclusiva fue mezcla de sentimientos total dónde se explora a fondo la psicología de punisher, el como los veteranos son totalmente quebrados por la guerra y aún que estos abandonen el campo de batalla este nunca los abandonará a ellos.
Los puntos criticable de toda esta experiencia es el dibujo y mucho gore innecesario pero bueno esto es punisher sabes, es edgy assfuck, si quieres ver algo tranquilo y para niños mejor ve a ver otro comic de spiderman.
Los puntos criticable de toda esta experiencia es el dibujo y mucho gore innecesario pero bueno esto es punisher sabes, es edgy assfuck, si quieres ver algo tranquilo y para niños mejor ve a ver otro comic de spiderman.
September 18, 2018
Brutal, but good.
July 13, 2014
This is actually the ending to the epic Punisher run Garth Ennis started way back in 2000. I'm sure most Ennis fanboy/girls (such as myself) balked when they saw that the dreaded New Guy was taking over the whole Punisher MAX thing. I really don't want to turn this into an Ennis review but I will state that his work on that series was wholeheartedly awesome, blending pulpy and over the top violence, darkness, nihilism, black humor and sex with an often insightful look at Frank Castle's psyche and how a human being like that might come to be. You're not gonna get a better Punisher origin story than Born, that's for sure.
What I'm trying to say here is that these are especially big shoes to fill. Instead of creating a whole new Punisher story as Ennis did when he got ahold of the title, Aaron goes for the throat and establishes a kind of extended conclusion to the previous arc. This isn't super apparent initially, but the small references to characters and plot points from the previous run make it clear that this is the same Frank Castle. And what a fucking character this is. Although he seems initially to just be a run of the mill grim-faced killer with a dark past, he soon becomes compelling. He deals with intense self-loathing and at certain times it's apparent he's doing what he has to do because he genuinely digs it and has literally nothing else, which is a chilling thought. There's no bloated self-righteousness to be found in these pages.
If anything, things have gotten darker here. There's very little of the black humor of the Ennis days. Even the reliable, well-established comic book faces like Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra are here just sociopathic, violent, psychotic and remorseless murderers. While the Kingpin is clearly the main antagonist for Frank to wrestle with I have to hand the the award to Bullseye. The man is a penetratingly creepy motherfucker, and was the perfect antagonist for Frank; just as obsessed, mentally ill and dangerous as he is. It all makes for morbidly gripping reading, but I suspect that people who find Ennis sensationalist and immature will probably think the same of Aaron.
And now I have to talk about the art. I loved it! It always confused me that Dillon never worked with his old partner on the previous issues, but better late than never and his style fits in perfectly. It's hard to describe, really...it's well-drawn, clean and realistic--but at the same time it's really ugly. It's perfect for a series like this. The hundreds of shootings, stabbings, stranglings, bludgeonings, etc. are all rendered with a joyfully disgusting quality.
Sweet.
So yeah, if you liked the Ennis stuff there's a good chance you'll like this. If you didn't like the Ennis stuff there's a good chance you won't like this. Aaron is not a copycat but they're both very much on the same page with this character. I heartily recommend both to novices, but start with Ennis first (particularly Born.) Just think of it as an American premium cable drama about a Vietnam vet who goes on the longest vigilante killing spree in human history, but in comic book form.
What I'm trying to say here is that these are especially big shoes to fill. Instead of creating a whole new Punisher story as Ennis did when he got ahold of the title, Aaron goes for the throat and establishes a kind of extended conclusion to the previous arc. This isn't super apparent initially, but the small references to characters and plot points from the previous run make it clear that this is the same Frank Castle. And what a fucking character this is. Although he seems initially to just be a run of the mill grim-faced killer with a dark past, he soon becomes compelling. He deals with intense self-loathing and at certain times it's apparent he's doing what he has to do because he genuinely digs it and has literally nothing else, which is a chilling thought. There's no bloated self-righteousness to be found in these pages.
If anything, things have gotten darker here. There's very little of the black humor of the Ennis days. Even the reliable, well-established comic book faces like Kingpin, Bullseye and Elektra are here just sociopathic, violent, psychotic and remorseless murderers. While the Kingpin is clearly the main antagonist for Frank to wrestle with I have to hand the the award to Bullseye. The man is a penetratingly creepy motherfucker, and was the perfect antagonist for Frank; just as obsessed, mentally ill and dangerous as he is. It all makes for morbidly gripping reading, but I suspect that people who find Ennis sensationalist and immature will probably think the same of Aaron.
And now I have to talk about the art. I loved it! It always confused me that Dillon never worked with his old partner on the previous issues, but better late than never and his style fits in perfectly. It's hard to describe, really...it's well-drawn, clean and realistic--but at the same time it's really ugly. It's perfect for a series like this. The hundreds of shootings, stabbings, stranglings, bludgeonings, etc. are all rendered with a joyfully disgusting quality.
Sweet.
So yeah, if you liked the Ennis stuff there's a good chance you'll like this. If you didn't like the Ennis stuff there's a good chance you won't like this. Aaron is not a copycat but they're both very much on the same page with this character. I heartily recommend both to novices, but start with Ennis first (particularly Born.) Just think of it as an American premium cable drama about a Vietnam vet who goes on the longest vigilante killing spree in human history, but in comic book form.
May 19, 2020
The follow-up to Garth Ennis's extremely beloved run on Punisher MAX just completely fails to live up to the first in any way. I'll just start with this up front, but I do not like Steve Dillon's art. He's the artist throughout this run and I'd take the first star off just for that on a personal level.
The MAX imprint on Marvel is one set to tell more adult stories. Typically this gets accomplished via sex, violence, drug use, etc etc and Punisher MAX leans heavily into violence and gore to tell its stories. It follows Frank Castle as he continues his war on crime by centering everything around the Kingpin, who is every bit as brutal and violent as Frank, but you know, as a villain. While there's a handful of different villains throughout the run the one time I felt this truly shined was when Bullseye got involved. There's a nice bit of black humor to be found in the truly absurd lengths the man goes to in his quest to "solve" Frank Castle so he can figure out how to kill him once and for all. And the action can be genuinely tense when Bullseye's superpower of impossibly good aim allows him to basically consistently hit Frank who's very much just an unpowered human.
But overall it's just not as good, I'm sorry to say. The format switch to a single primary villain over the entire run feels more comic book-y and many of the villains feel that way as well. While Frank does best when fighting overzealous mobsters or organized crime members (in my opinion) having to face off against, say, an extremely tough Amish man who doesn't believe in technology is just weird for the more grounded setting the MAX universe lives in.
If you're still interested by all means check it out. I didn't love it, but I was engaged enough to read the entire thing. A perfectly average Punisher series that loses points for being a followup to something truly special, in my book.
The MAX imprint on Marvel is one set to tell more adult stories. Typically this gets accomplished via sex, violence, drug use, etc etc and Punisher MAX leans heavily into violence and gore to tell its stories. It follows Frank Castle as he continues his war on crime by centering everything around the Kingpin, who is every bit as brutal and violent as Frank, but you know, as a villain. While there's a handful of different villains throughout the run the one time I felt this truly shined was when Bullseye got involved. There's a nice bit of black humor to be found in the truly absurd lengths the man goes to in his quest to "solve" Frank Castle so he can figure out how to kill him once and for all. And the action can be genuinely tense when Bullseye's superpower of impossibly good aim allows him to basically consistently hit Frank who's very much just an unpowered human.
But overall it's just not as good, I'm sorry to say. The format switch to a single primary villain over the entire run feels more comic book-y and many of the villains feel that way as well. While Frank does best when fighting overzealous mobsters or organized crime members (in my opinion) having to face off against, say, an extremely tough Amish man who doesn't believe in technology is just weird for the more grounded setting the MAX universe lives in.
If you're still interested by all means check it out. I didn't love it, but I was engaged enough to read the entire thing. A perfectly average Punisher series that loses points for being a followup to something truly special, in my book.
March 20, 2015
A very gritty and dark take on The Punisher, defiantly for adults.
The Punisher, a gun totting vigilante (and one of my favourite heroes) in the Marvel universe is dealt with with out kid gloves in this graphic novel. Nudity, sex, foul language, and of course, buckets loads of violence make up this work. It has an interesting story arc, and peaks in the only climax that makes sense for this tale. It kept me interested, and I really enjoyed this journey.
The writing and plotting was well done, but I find that the artwork was of average quality.
The Punisher, a gun totting vigilante (and one of my favourite heroes) in the Marvel universe is dealt with with out kid gloves in this graphic novel. Nudity, sex, foul language, and of course, buckets loads of violence make up this work. It has an interesting story arc, and peaks in the only climax that makes sense for this tale. It kept me interested, and I really enjoyed this journey.
The writing and plotting was well done, but I find that the artwork was of average quality.
November 11, 2024
If I had the opportunity to read only one Punisher story, it would have to be Jason Aaron's run on PunisherMAX, which lasted only 22 issues. Those of you who've not yet read this brutal and (let's be honest here) tragic exploration of Frank Castle should do so post-haste. You won't regret it.
This series was published under Marvel's MAX imprint, where pretty much anything goes, and the author doesn't hold back: Language, sex, and lots (and LOTS) of violence are on the menu. And really, this is the best format to tell a Punisher story. The guy, after all, IS a killer. It features familiar characters from the main Marvel Universe, but there is something different about each and every one of them from their main MU counterpart. So there are a few surprises. For example: in this continuity, the Punisher's been busting the Mob's balls for over 30 years (!) and is 65 years old. So he's got 30+ years of experience, but also has become slower.
What really made this series stand out for me is how Jason Aaron peels back the layers on the Punisher like no other author before him has done. It humanizes a character that is often dismissed as one-note. What makes Frank Castle tick? How long before his impossible, violent quest for retribution catches up to him?
Part 1 covers the ascension of Wilson Fisk to Kingpin Of Crime after he takes out the heads of the Five Families Godfather-style (i.e. simultaneously - with one exception) and the Punisher going against the Mennonite. We're also treated to an origin story (of sorts) for Wilson Fisk. Oh, and Bullseye shows up on the last page.
Part 2 brings us Bullseye, who is hired by the Kingpin to assassinate the Punisher.
This hired killer REALLY loves his job and likes to get into the head of his targets, to fully understand them before he kills them. He is really efficient in his methods and yes, even though the level of violence, which had already been high in the first volume, gets dialed up a few notches in this book. And yet, somehow the authors manage to work in some humor in there, which cannot be accidental. While reading this, there were some parts where I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Maybe it's the way Dillon illustrates the script, I don't know. You out there that have read The Punisher, Vol. 1: Welcome Back, Frank by Garth Ennis and Dillon will know what I'm talking about. The characters' facial expressions alone are sometimes enough to make you laugh.
At the end of Part 2 Frank Castle has been captured and sent to Ryker's island and is in a pretty bad shape.
Part 3 is the emotional core of the series. It alternates between present-day events and non-chronological flashbacks of the Punisher's life, from boyhood until his first forays into being the Punisher. It's still violent, but it has a lot of quieter moments. Sometimes it's even downright sad. Nick Fury even makes a few appearances.
With this book, it is more than obvious that Jason Aaron has figured out exactly what the Punisher is about at his core, what makes Frank Castle tick.
Part 3 ends with Frank Castle having broken out of prison (no spoiler, there - it's a necessity of the plot) and, being left with nothing, he ends up returning to the last place he'd expected: the house he used to live in with his wife & kids.
In Part 4, having just broken out of prison, the Punisher is homeless, weaponless, as well as physically (and emotionally) tired. The end is near, and I'm not just talking about this series...
The Kingpin makes a return to the forefront of the story, having been less featured in the previous volume, and we also get Elektra, a ninja assassin hired to protect Wilson Fisk from the Punisher (the Hand, the organization who "loans" Elektra to the Kingpin, has enough respect for the Punisher to refuse to kill him).
Absolutely EVERYONE gets what's coming to them (yes, even the Punisher - his death is actually quite sad). The final issue is an epilogue of sorts and features Nick Fury, who takes care - among other things - of the Punisher's funeral arrangements.
There you have it. This is easily one of the best stories I've read and I hope you get the chance to read this series as well.
** The Omnibus also includes the Punisher MAX X-MAS Special, a fun, bonus stand-alone story.
This series was published under Marvel's MAX imprint, where pretty much anything goes, and the author doesn't hold back: Language, sex, and lots (and LOTS) of violence are on the menu. And really, this is the best format to tell a Punisher story. The guy, after all, IS a killer. It features familiar characters from the main Marvel Universe, but there is something different about each and every one of them from their main MU counterpart. So there are a few surprises. For example: in this continuity, the Punisher's been busting the Mob's balls for over 30 years (!) and is 65 years old. So he's got 30+ years of experience, but also has become slower.
What really made this series stand out for me is how Jason Aaron peels back the layers on the Punisher like no other author before him has done. It humanizes a character that is often dismissed as one-note. What makes Frank Castle tick? How long before his impossible, violent quest for retribution catches up to him?
Part 1 covers the ascension of Wilson Fisk to Kingpin Of Crime after he takes out the heads of the Five Families Godfather-style (i.e. simultaneously - with one exception) and the Punisher going against the Mennonite. We're also treated to an origin story (of sorts) for Wilson Fisk. Oh, and Bullseye shows up on the last page.
Part 2 brings us Bullseye, who is hired by the Kingpin to assassinate the Punisher.
This hired killer REALLY loves his job and likes to get into the head of his targets, to fully understand them before he kills them. He is really efficient in his methods and yes, even though the level of violence, which had already been high in the first volume, gets dialed up a few notches in this book. And yet, somehow the authors manage to work in some humor in there, which cannot be accidental. While reading this, there were some parts where I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Maybe it's the way Dillon illustrates the script, I don't know. You out there that have read The Punisher, Vol. 1: Welcome Back, Frank by Garth Ennis and Dillon will know what I'm talking about. The characters' facial expressions alone are sometimes enough to make you laugh.
At the end of Part 2 Frank Castle has been captured and sent to Ryker's island and is in a pretty bad shape.
Part 3 is the emotional core of the series. It alternates between present-day events and non-chronological flashbacks of the Punisher's life, from boyhood until his first forays into being the Punisher. It's still violent, but it has a lot of quieter moments. Sometimes it's even downright sad. Nick Fury even makes a few appearances.
With this book, it is more than obvious that Jason Aaron has figured out exactly what the Punisher is about at his core, what makes Frank Castle tick.
Part 3 ends with Frank Castle having broken out of prison (no spoiler, there - it's a necessity of the plot) and, being left with nothing, he ends up returning to the last place he'd expected: the house he used to live in with his wife & kids.
In Part 4, having just broken out of prison, the Punisher is homeless, weaponless, as well as physically (and emotionally) tired. The end is near, and I'm not just talking about this series...
The Kingpin makes a return to the forefront of the story, having been less featured in the previous volume, and we also get Elektra, a ninja assassin hired to protect Wilson Fisk from the Punisher (the Hand, the organization who "loans" Elektra to the Kingpin, has enough respect for the Punisher to refuse to kill him).
Absolutely EVERYONE gets what's coming to them (yes, even the Punisher - his death is actually quite sad). The final issue is an epilogue of sorts and features Nick Fury, who takes care - among other things - of the Punisher's funeral arrangements.
There you have it. This is easily one of the best stories I've read and I hope you get the chance to read this series as well.
** The Omnibus also includes the Punisher MAX X-MAS Special, a fun, bonus stand-alone story.
January 11, 2023
This is not the Punisher.
This is not the Kingpin.
This is not Elektra.
This is just an excuse for Aaron to write disgusting, gore-filled stories about Frank Castle being a "psychopath" who gets off on murdering people and apparently didn't even love his own family and broke up with Maria before she and the kids got killed (wtf?!)
I hate when Punisher's written as if he's a mental case. Ennis started it, this douchebag turned it up to 11.
I got baited into reading this (i did it in single issues), by Wikipedia because it says it inspired Vanessa Fisk in the Daredevil show and the Kingpin himself, plus some elements from season 2 of Punisher.
That was a lie.
I see no resemblence of anything in this comic series, Vanessa and Kingpin's relationship has nothing to do with how it was portrayed in the show. Plus, apparently she boinked Elektra. Who is Japanese. What the fuck...
Kingpin also has little to nothing in common with Kingpin from the show. Other than the fact he's violent and rules the city of New York from the shadows, nothing else truly captures what he was like in the show.
Also he gets raped in prison. Yeah. Then he has bums gangrape the wife of the dude who did it, when he gets out, kills her and then possibly?! rapes the dude when he finds out about it.
Yes Jason Aaron we get it, you like being edgy.
This is just sad. Also disturbing and horrifying. But mostly sad.
I do not recommend this to Punisher fans who grew up with the Mike Baron, Chuck Dixon, Carl Potts runs.
Only good things were Bullseye being pretty much well, Bullseye and the late great Steve Dillon's artwork.
That is all.
Fuck you Jason Aaron.
This is not the Kingpin.
This is not Elektra.
This is just an excuse for Aaron to write disgusting, gore-filled stories about Frank Castle being a "psychopath" who gets off on murdering people and apparently didn't even love his own family and broke up with Maria before she and the kids got killed (wtf?!)
I hate when Punisher's written as if he's a mental case. Ennis started it, this douchebag turned it up to 11.
I got baited into reading this (i did it in single issues), by Wikipedia because it says it inspired Vanessa Fisk in the Daredevil show and the Kingpin himself, plus some elements from season 2 of Punisher.
That was a lie.
I see no resemblence of anything in this comic series, Vanessa and Kingpin's relationship has nothing to do with how it was portrayed in the show. Plus, apparently she boinked Elektra. Who is Japanese. What the fuck...
Kingpin also has little to nothing in common with Kingpin from the show. Other than the fact he's violent and rules the city of New York from the shadows, nothing else truly captures what he was like in the show.
Also he gets raped in prison. Yeah. Then he has bums gangrape the wife of the dude who did it, when he gets out, kills her and then possibly?! rapes the dude when he finds out about it.
Yes Jason Aaron we get it, you like being edgy.
This is just sad. Also disturbing and horrifying. But mostly sad.
I do not recommend this to Punisher fans who grew up with the Mike Baron, Chuck Dixon, Carl Potts runs.
Only good things were Bullseye being pretty much well, Bullseye and the late great Steve Dillon's artwork.
That is all.
Fuck you Jason Aaron.
May 29, 2024
Един от най-добрите рънове за Наказателят писани някога. При все, че не съм чел всичко за този безмислостен психопат, то заявявам чистосърдечно, че това е най-плътната история със страхотен арт, писана за него.
Повечето запознати с комикс света са наясно кой е Франк Касъл и как��а е неговата история. Този път обаче, Джейсън Арън предлага една малко по-различна гледна точка за същността на Наказателя и измества ъгъла на движещата сила на легендарния убиец, като поне според мен, създава много по-плътен и правдоподобен образ от този, който познаваме. Тук темата за отмъщението също е налице, но не тя е основната мотивация, а по-скоро е нещо като откатът от пистолета след изстрел. Често сме чували за посттравматичния стрес след участие във война, за психичните травми с които се налага да живеят ветераните. Е, точно тук Джейсън Арън се равихря и изгражда един много мрачен Франк Касъл, на който му трябва едно побутване за да пропадне в бездната на кървавата си симфония.
Адмирации за плътност, получава и всеизвестният убиец Булзай, който най-накрая изглежда като безскрупулния и всеотдаден на целта си убиец, който всъщност е.
В тази история няма добри или лоши, а единствено травмирани персонажи, които се борят със собствените си демони.
Като единствен минус бих поставил само участието на Електра в броевете, но като цяло фокусът не попада особено върху нея, затова мога да кажа, че е горе-долу окей като персонаж.
Артът на Стив Дилън е страхотен, затова, ако сте почитатели на екшън историите със задъхан и динамичен сюжет, то комиксът си струва прочитането.
Повечето запознати с комикс света са наясно кой е Франк Касъл и как��а е неговата история. Този път обаче, Джейсън Арън предлага една малко по-различна гледна точка за същността на Наказателя и измества ъгъла на движещата сила на легендарния убиец, като поне според мен, създава много по-плътен и правдоподобен образ от този, който познаваме. Тук темата за отмъщението също е налице, но не тя е основната мотивация, а по-скоро е нещо като откатът от пистолета след изстрел. Често сме чували за посттравматичния стрес след участие във война, за психичните травми с които се налага да живеят ветераните. Е, точно тук Джейсън Арън се равихря и изгражда един много мрачен Франк Касъл, на който му трябва едно побутване за да пропадне в бездната на кървавата си симфония.
Адмирации за плътност, получава и всеизвестният убиец Булзай, който най-накрая изглежда като безскрупулния и всеотдаден на целта си убиец, който всъщност е.
В тази история няма добри или лоши, а единствено травмирани персонажи, които се борят със собствените си демони.
Като единствен минус бих поставил само участието на Електра в броевете, но като цяло фокусът не попада особено върху нея, затова мога да кажа, че е горе-долу окей като персонаж.
Артът на Стив Дилън е страхотен, затова, ако сте почитатели на екшън историите със задъхан и динамичен сюжет, то комиксът си струва прочитането.
December 30, 2025
With this being my introduction to Frank Castle, I am curious about how I will feel about this run if I ever decide to reread it in the future. Aaron begins his run with an older, more haggard Frank, who perhaps is knowingly living out his few remaining days. I say perhaps because despite how deep he is into the second half of his life, Frank is still striking fear among the criminals, low lives, and corrupt billionaires who all inhabit New York City; a trait of his character that, right from the first chapter, I found endearingly tragic.
It is however, by no means an easy read. Each of these four arcs dive deeper into Frank's motivations for continuing to carry out his mission, until it hits you that he is even more fearful than the people he murders. It is such an excellent portrayal of how grief and trauma would be handled by a person already molded through a dragged out, pointless war, admittedly to the cost of my own enjoyment at times; like what Fury said in the final issue, diving into the mind of Frank is an experience no one should partake in.
My main issues with this series stems from the sheer intensity and edginess that comes with the MAX label. While Steve Dillon's style is a great fit for this story and the Punisher as a whole, his visuals of violence and gore felt a bit overdone and tired by the run's end. But again, the max label gave me this expectation going into the series. I similarly felt this level of overindulgence mainly in the arc with Bullseye, whose portrayal was a touch too manic for my tastes, but I have not read a comic with him before so it could just be a problem I have with the character in general.
I did enjoy Aaron's take on Wilson Fisk, and how his story is closely tied with Frank's; the two were both born and bred from their traumatic pasts, and could never dream of living as normal, loving parents. I like to believe that Vanessa serves as a living symbol of Frank's wife, coming back to haunt her heartless spouse.
Overall, I can appreciate the willingness to explore the final stage of Frank Castle's life; the final chapter brings a sense of finality and celebration that is rare amongst big 2 stories.
It is however, by no means an easy read. Each of these four arcs dive deeper into Frank's motivations for continuing to carry out his mission, until it hits you that he is even more fearful than the people he murders. It is such an excellent portrayal of how grief and trauma would be handled by a person already molded through a dragged out, pointless war, admittedly to the cost of my own enjoyment at times; like what Fury said in the final issue, diving into the mind of Frank is an experience no one should partake in.
My main issues with this series stems from the sheer intensity and edginess that comes with the MAX label. While Steve Dillon's style is a great fit for this story and the Punisher as a whole, his visuals of violence and gore felt a bit overdone and tired by the run's end. But again, the max label gave me this expectation going into the series. I similarly felt this level of overindulgence mainly in the arc with Bullseye, whose portrayal was a touch too manic for my tastes, but I have not read a comic with him before so it could just be a problem I have with the character in general.
I did enjoy Aaron's take on Wilson Fisk, and how his story is closely tied with Frank's; the two were both born and bred from their traumatic pasts, and could never dream of living as normal, loving parents. I like to believe that Vanessa serves as a living symbol of Frank's wife, coming back to haunt her heartless spouse.
Overall, I can appreciate the willingness to explore the final stage of Frank Castle's life; the final chapter brings a sense of finality and celebration that is rare amongst big 2 stories.
November 28, 2021
If you're a fan of the Netflix Daredevil and Punisher series, this could easily be the DEFINITIVE Punisher arc. Granted, getting a hold of the complete Garth Ennis Punisher MAX, which preceded and shaped this series, has been difficult for me. I.e. I haven't read more than maybe one volume of it, years ago, and after many attempts at tracking it down, I gave up.
This is not only the quintessential Punisher, but this is what Marvel's MAX comics should be like. I remember Wolverine MAX being such a let-down, given the opportunities to portray the Berserker side of Wolverine, as well as the sex-having, booze-drinking, cigar-smoking aspects of Logan. In that series, they skipped all the good potential and instead gave us like, a single titty in a strip club, and a few cuss words. In Punisher MAX, we see one major character using their own teargas-induced vomit to try drowning another major character as they go all out trying to kill each other, and later, a major character using the head of a random hired gun whose brains were just blown out as a blunt object to ram into the testicles of another major character!!!
This is creative ultraviolence in the way anyone reading this title should expect and will either love or hate.
Jason Aaron's scripting is nearly flawless. Steve Dillon's artwork has matured to its pinnacle from the times of Preacher.
This is not only the quintessential Punisher, but this is what Marvel's MAX comics should be like. I remember Wolverine MAX being such a let-down, given the opportunities to portray the Berserker side of Wolverine, as well as the sex-having, booze-drinking, cigar-smoking aspects of Logan. In that series, they skipped all the good potential and instead gave us like, a single titty in a strip club, and a few cuss words. In Punisher MAX, we see one major character using their own teargas-induced vomit to try drowning another major character as they go all out trying to kill each other, and later, a major character using the head of a random hired gun whose brains were just blown out as a blunt object to ram into the testicles of another major character!!!
This is creative ultraviolence in the way anyone reading this title should expect and will either love or hate.
Jason Aaron's scripting is nearly flawless. Steve Dillon's artwork has matured to its pinnacle from the times of Preacher.
May 13, 2025
I was hesitant with this collection because no one writes the Punisher like Garth Ennis, so why even bother? But Jason Aaron's run is equally a semi-continuation / conclusion to Ennis's run, as well as it's own thing.
This is the end of Frank Castle. The MAX version of the character ages in real time, placing him in his mid-60s by the time the final panel appears. And that's a big theme. in his near 40-year war on crime, what has he achieved? What has he changed?
This book does what all great Punisher stories must, it grapples with the inescapable sadness of the man. And not just his tragic backstory - Frank Castle leads a lonely, angry existence that nobody in their right mind should want to emulate. And Aaron mines Castle's long life to really expand on this sadness.
Along the way, we meet a few MAX-ified versions of classic Marvel characters. Bullseye is especially messed up, though it's Wilson Fisk that provides most of the trouble for Frank.
If you're putting this off because you're attached to the Ennis version, give it a shot. Ennis regular and artist extraordinaire Steve Dillon draws this collection so it has that streak of pitch-black humour running throughout.
It's a worthy conclusion to the long, tragic life of Frank Castle. May he be forever misunderstood.
This is the end of Frank Castle. The MAX version of the character ages in real time, placing him in his mid-60s by the time the final panel appears. And that's a big theme. in his near 40-year war on crime, what has he achieved? What has he changed?
This book does what all great Punisher stories must, it grapples with the inescapable sadness of the man. And not just his tragic backstory - Frank Castle leads a lonely, angry existence that nobody in their right mind should want to emulate. And Aaron mines Castle's long life to really expand on this sadness.
Along the way, we meet a few MAX-ified versions of classic Marvel characters. Bullseye is especially messed up, though it's Wilson Fisk that provides most of the trouble for Frank.
If you're putting this off because you're attached to the Ennis version, give it a shot. Ennis regular and artist extraordinaire Steve Dillon draws this collection so it has that streak of pitch-black humour running throughout.
It's a worthy conclusion to the long, tragic life of Frank Castle. May he be forever misunderstood.
February 16, 2025
Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon bring a fitting conclusion to the groundwork Ennis and team laid out prior, this story is littered with callbacks to Ennis tenure on the book but can be read without if you really want to, though I wouldn’t recommend it, as it only improves the impact of this book. I enjoyed this volume cover to cover and at no point did it feel like a chore to get through, in fact quite the opposite I heavily looked forward to the next issue and getting back to it when I had the time to read, Aaron nails the Max version of Kingpin, making him ruthless and powerful, but also quite the coward. Some other character familiar to the marvel reader also make an appearance and again, are portrayed in this alternate universe very well. This book is brutal, gritty but also often heartfelt and emotional. It’s full of twists and turns and quite a quick read, a great accompaniment to an already great run.
The Christmas special is pretty standalone but was fun and festive in a punisher sorta way.
I laughed, I teared up and I can’t wait to return sometime later down the line.
The Christmas special is pretty standalone but was fun and festive in a punisher sorta way.
I laughed, I teared up and I can’t wait to return sometime later down the line.
January 1, 2021
To say I have mixed feelings about the Punisher in general, and his solo comics especially, is to put it mildly. In the twitter conversation I mention in my Lost Soldiers review, though, someone mentioned that the writer to come the closest to writing that kind of Punisher story was Jason Aaron, and even then clearly Marvel didn't quite let it go over the brink. I've enjoyed some of Aaron's other work and didn't even realize he did Punisher, let alone MAX post-Ennis (speaking of someone I am deeply ambiguous about). So I read it. If anything maybe it's still a bit too thrilling to really capture the bleakness we were talking about, but it comes as close as Marvel is likely to let it, and far closer than I imagined they would. This is the definitive Punisher story now, to me.
December 20, 2017
One of my favourite books. I loved the punisher max run by Garth Ennis. Jason Aaron is a worthy successor. Only it lacks a bit of Ennis sense for black humor, what doesnt mean that Aarons version of the one man army Frank Castle hasnt got that kind of humor. Just in direct comparison of both runs. But after all its one of the best Punisher runs i have ever read and recommend it to every adult comic reader that don´t have problems with some over the top graphic violence, cause this book has a lot of it. The art of Dillon is great as usual. The book at it self is well produced like most books of marvels omnibus series.
May 12, 2021
What. a. Collaboration!!! Aaron and Dillon. Fantastic stuff!
Follows on Ennis initial run of the Punisher. Introduces how the king pin came about, How Nick Fury knew frank castle, Bulls Eye and Electra, plus Wilson Fisk and wifey Venessa’s relations with the Hand
Comics when they are best and a worthy successor to Garth Ennis story arch. No one does grit like Ennis. Except Aaron. And Dillon is the perfect artist for the two of them. May he rest in peace.
This series is the best thing I’ve read in a very very long time.
Follows on Ennis initial run of the Punisher. Introduces how the king pin came about, How Nick Fury knew frank castle, Bulls Eye and Electra, plus Wilson Fisk and wifey Venessa’s relations with the Hand
Comics when they are best and a worthy successor to Garth Ennis story arch. No one does grit like Ennis. Except Aaron. And Dillon is the perfect artist for the two of them. May he rest in peace.
This series is the best thing I’ve read in a very very long time.
July 3, 2018
Lacks the character and substance of Garth Ennis' MAX run. The arc about Frank Castle's failure to adjust to civilian life was fairly strong, but the mature versions of famous Marvel villains aren't really interesting, just sick and outrageous for the sake of sick and outrageous. So insubstantial that I shot through the whole omnibus in about the time it usually takes me to read a thicker TPB.
December 15, 2022
A masterful follow up to the Garth Ennis run. The perfect continuation and end.
Love that Jason Aaron brought back the late and great Steve Dillon for this, as he is the only one that could draw the story line for such a character.
I read this in one sitting as it was the definition of a page turner. A must have for any Punisher collection.
Love that Jason Aaron brought back the late and great Steve Dillon for this, as he is the only one that could draw the story line for such a character.
I read this in one sitting as it was the definition of a page turner. A must have for any Punisher collection.
June 30, 2018
Seria, w której Aaron uśmierca Punishera. Jest brutalnie, ale bardzo wciągająco. Autorzy skupiają się na pogłębieniu psychologicznych motywów zarówno Franka Castle, jak i jego głównego oponenta. Co wrażliwsi powinni odpuścić, ale to chyba oczywiste w przypadku tego bohatera.
January 27, 2020
Really good! This run is underrated. Always over shadowed by Garth Ennis Run, (which i haven't read yet). Has a great KingPin Origin Story. Was also my 1st introduction to Bullseye, who is a fkn Lunatic. Should def read it!
(Edit this my 2nd time reading it)
(Edit this my 2nd time reading it)
March 27, 2022
One of the best punisher runs of all time, dark enough with some humor sprinkled about. My biggest complaint is the Steve Dillon face, I feel like so many characters have the literal same face, other than that a must read
April 29, 2022
FULL REVIEW *Spoiler Free*- https://youtu.be/xdoHnkcdeFE
Some of Jason Aaron's Best Work at Marvel
OVERALL RATING: 3.75 stars
Art: 3.25 stars
Prose: 3.75 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Pacing: 4.25 stars
Character Development: 4.25 stars
World Building: 3.5 stars
Some of Jason Aaron's Best Work at Marvel
OVERALL RATING: 3.75 stars
Art: 3.25 stars
Prose: 3.75 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Pacing: 4.25 stars
Character Development: 4.25 stars
World Building: 3.5 stars
January 31, 2024
This comic collection is all 22 issues of punisher max. Over 500 pages of the insane gore and violence you expect from Frank Castle. It’s a very fun read and i think anyone who enjoy punisher will enjoy this one. I do think there are better comics out there of max but this is a good time !
September 7, 2025
A bleak and grueling meditation on vigilante justice, with stellar work by Steve Dillon, as always, and Aaron does some interesting structural work along with the overall crackling script. Probably the second best of the short lived Marvel MAX line, after Alias.
February 16, 2019
na minha opinião a melhor
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews